1. Field of the Invention
The present invention gives means to give a better structure of the main body of a piano in order to improve sound quality and sound separation capability of the piano, and, more particularly, the invention gives means to improve sound quality and sound separation capability of a piano by making the main body of a piano into a separable two-segment structure, one being the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side made up of a keyboard mechanism, a pedal mechanism and so on that functions as a source to produce energy to strike strings and the other being the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side incorporated to receive the energy to strike strings transmitted from the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side, transform it into sonic vibrations and then emit from the main body of the piano into the air the energy of thus generated sonic vibrations as sonic waves, and forming a support structure for the main body of the piano with weight-supporting elements of a point-support type or a line-support type or weight-supporting elements of a non-contact type composed of a magnet-lifting mechanism or a pneumatic spring allocated between the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side and the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side, thereby making it possible for the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side to keep the freedom of vibration which is effective to improve sound quality even when an excessively big energy to strike strings is loaded on the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side.
2. Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional grand piano for concert use contains, inside the case 36 of the grand piano P supported by legs 4, the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A made up of a keyboard mechanism, an action mechanism and others that functions as a source to produce energy to strike strings and the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B made up of a damper mechanism, tuning pins, hitch-pins, a bridge, a soundboard, ribs, a frame, strings, and a lid that receives the energy to strike strings transmitted from the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A, generates sonic vibrations and emits into the air the energy of thus generated sonic vibrations as sonic waves. Also, onto the bottom face of the main body of a grand piano, is mounted a pedal mechanism made up of a forte pedal, a sostenuto pedal and a shift pedal, as a constituent part of the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A.
In a conventional grand piano, as shown in FIG. 5, both the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A and the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B were incorporated into the main body of a grand piano P as a unified structure that cannot be separated.
When a pianist plays a conventional grand piano P shown in FIG. 5, if the pianist hits and presses keys strongly to the lowest limit of the key-dip and keeps pressing them as they are, a big pressure weight is loaded on the constituent parts of the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A. Since the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B is jointed to the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A as a unified structure, the big pressure weight loaded on the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A is uncontrollably transmitted to the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B. Consequently, a strain of the order of microns is transmitted not only to the constituent parts of the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A but also to those of the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B. This strain of the order of microns transmitted to the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B is, in a sense, produced irrespective of the performing skill of the pianist, and the constituent parts of the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B such as a damper mechanism, tuning pins, hitch-pins, a bridge, a soundboard, ribs, a frame, strings and a lid are prevented from vibrating freely in the horizontal and vertical directions and, thus, a distortion is produced in the wave form of the sonic vibrations emitted into the air from the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B. Thereby, troubles such as smothered or voiced sound, sonority decrease, or reduced capability of sound separation are caused to occur to the sound emitted into the air from the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B.
Hitherto is described the troubles caused to occur to the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B when the keys are hit and pressed strongly to the lowest limit of the key-dip. Likewise, such deterioration of sound quality and sound separation capability is also caused when a forte pedal, a shift pedal or other of the pedal mechanism is strongly pressed to the lowest limit of its stroke and kept pressing it as it is, and, thus, a distortion is produced in the wave form of the sonic vibrations emitted from the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B, causing troubles such as deterioration of sound quality. Such deterioration of sound quality and sound separation capability is, in a sense, an uncontrollable trouble produced irrespective of the performing ability of a pianist or the tuning ability of a tuning technician in case of a conventional grand piano, and, therefore, it has long been requested to establish means to solve this problem by most pianists and tuning technicians.
As a means to solve the foregoing problem, the present invention gives a piano that is formed by dividing the main body of the piano, which is used to be made as a unified structure, into two parts, one being the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side and the other being the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side, thus making the main body of the piano into a two-segment structure, then allocating in rows at certain uniform intervals a plural number of either weight-supporting elements of a point-support type or a line-support type or weight-supporting elements of a non-contact type composed of a magnet-lifting mechanism or a pneumatic spring on the support frame installed in the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side, and, with these weight-supporting elements in between, placing in a layered state the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side onto the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side.
The sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of a piano is divided into two parts, one being the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A made up of a keyboard mechanism, an action mechanism, a damper mechanism and others that functions as a source to produce energy to strike strings and the other being the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B made up of tuning pins, hitch-pins, a bridge, a soundboard, ribs, a frame, strings, a lid and others that receives the energy to strike strings transmitted from the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A, generates sonic vibrations and emits from the main body of the piano into the air the energy of thus generated sonic vibrations as sonic waves; a plural number of weight-supporting elements C of a point-support type or a line-support type or weight-supporting elements C of a non-contact type composed of a magnet-lifting mechanism or a pneumatic spring are allocated in rows at certain uniform intervals on the support frame installed in the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side; and, with these weight-supporting elements C in between, the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B is placed in a layered state onto the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the upstream side A. Thereby, the freedom of vibration of the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B is secured and the distortion of the wave form of the sonic vibrations emitted from the sonic-vibration-generating mechanism of the downstream side B is prevented.